


The dogs are mad

by iwaizumemes (skytramp)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Shelter, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 18:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4315608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skytramp/pseuds/iwaizumemes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyoutani always thought of himself as an animal person. Animals were 100% better than people in every scenario, but something about small dogs made them more likely to bite his ankles than to lick his fingers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The dogs are mad

The way the yorkshire terrier was growling at him you’d think he’d insulted it’s mother. To be fair, he may have called it a “son of a bitch” a few times, but he’s never been one to pass up a grammatically correct insult when presented with the place, and the fact that the dog’s teeth were clamped around his hand was more than enough reason for insults.   
  
Kyoutani always thought of himself as an animal person. Animals were 100% better than people in every scenario, but something about small dogs made them more likely to bite his ankles than to lick his fingers. He sat on the ground in the kennel, careful to avoid where the dog had spilled its water, and crossed his legs. He had to give this monster attention for another three or four minutes before moving on, so he might as well sit down.   
  
The dog had somehow clamped onto his other hand, the jaw not strong enough to really hurt him, but he think it broke the skin, just as one of the shelter’s vets walked past.   
  
“Are you alright, Kyoutani?”   
  
“Mm, what?” He looked up. The vet, Yahaba, he thought his name was, pushed the hair out of his eyes and looked pointedly at where the dog hung from Kyoutani’s hand.   
  
“Oh, this? Yeah, I’ll be fine.”  
  
“Maybe you’d want to take a break?” He sounded shy, but not as nervous as a lot of people seemed to be around him. Someone told him once that he looked dangerous, he never understood it. They’d spoken a few times over the months, a couple words here, a smile from Yahaba there. They were acquaintances, if not friends.   
  
“Why?”   
  
“Because a dog is biting you?”   
  
“Oh.” He considered. He was a little thirsty. “Okay.” He stood up, shaking his hand until the dog unlatched its teeth, and left the kennel that Yahaba held open for him. They walked together, silent by side by side, through the large room full of dog kennels. When Yahaba shut the door behind him he found he missed the sounds of barking permeating the air.   
  
“You want to get a drink or something?” Yahaba asked, and Kyoutani started towards the vending machine in the lobby. A hand on his arm stopped him. “Where are you going?”   
  
“Vending machine.”   
  
“Oh, you can come back to the breakroom. I’m the vet in charge right now, and some of the other volunteers come back here sometimes.” He gestured towards a long hallway behind the greeting counter and Kyoutani followed him.   
  
He didn’t really get along with the other volunteers much. He was here for the animals, plain and simple, so he’d never been to the employee break room in the six months he’d been volunteering. For that matter, he wasn’t sure why this vet was always so nice to him either. It was almost annoying.   
  
Yahaba insisted Kyoutani sit at the small plastic table while he got them cups of tea, and Kyoutani complied by crossing his arms and sinking lower in the chair than was appropriate for polite company.   
  
“So, why do you come here?” Yahaba asked, sipping the tea in front of him.   
  
“Animals.” Kyoutani replied. He hadn’t touched his tea, something about the cups felt too delicate to him. He wasn’t much of a tea drinker to begin with.   
  
“That’s not even an answer, and it didn’t seem like you liked Marcy very much.” He sounded demanding, a tone Kyoutani didn’t hear too often unless it was from his grandmother, and the man in front of him was definitely not as intimidating. He remembered that Marcy was that yorkshire terrier  _monster_  from before and he shrugged one shoulder.   
  
“Small dogs don’t like me, but I’m here for the rest.”   
  
Yahaba nodded and sipped at his tea again. Something about his reactions were irritating. Maybe this was why Kyoutani never should talk to people.   
  
“I think you should make more of an effort with the small dogs.”   
  
“What?” For half a second or so, he tried to not seem angry. He’d been here, three times a week for six months, who did this guy think he was, telling him he wasn’t making enough of an effort? He felt his hand tighten around the tea cup, he thought he might break it.   
  
“The dogs here need you, Kyoutani, even the small ones, and if you aren’t going to make an effort it’s unfair to them.” His tone was matter-of-fact and incredibly annoying. Kyoutani wanted to scream.   
  
“Look, I know you’re the boss here, but that’s bullshit and you know it!” Before he could continue Yahaba stood up, quickly leaving the small room. “Hey, I was talking to you!”   
  
He followed Yahaba down the narrow hallway and just as he caught up he felt a hand on his shoulder and his back was pressed against the wall. Yahaba seemed larger all of a sudden, despite his thin frame, and he loomed over Kyoutani as his hands fisted in the shoulders of his tshirt.   
  
“If you’re not going to take things seriously we don’t need you! I thought you actually cared about the animals but you’re just another asshole who thinks they can just spend time playing with dogs and ignore the ones they don’t like. It makes me sick.” The venom in his voice was biting and Kyoutani was too shocked to speak. A few seconds later Yahaba seemed to come to his senses, or maybe he realized just how close their faces were, and he let go and backed as far away as the narrow hallway would allow.   
  
“I’m sorry.” It was Kyoutani who spoke. At this point he wasn’t even sure why, but he wasn’t going to let Yahaba think he didn’t care about the shit he did here. “You’re wrong that I don’t care though. I’ll admit I’m an asshole, but animals are better than people.”  
  
Yahaba took a few seconds, but when he responded it was like he was rising from a trance. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have gotten mad like that, there’s no excuse.” He shook his head and then pushed his hair back again.   
  
“Whatever, it’s fine. I’m gonna go play with.. Marcy again.” He hesitated before saying the monster’s name, but he was pretty sure Yahaba would appreciate it.   
  
His eyes widened slightly and he nodded in response. “Oh, good. I’ll… See you later then.” When he didn’t make an effort to move, still standing resolutely against the opposite wall of the hallway, Kyoutani left first.   
  
He found himself standing in front of Marcy’s kennel, and she was growling, again.   
  
“Look here, we’re gonna be civil about this because I don’t need Yahaba climbing down my throat again, you hear me?” He said, pointing a finger at the dog. He thought she even seemed to listen. 


End file.
